Winch drum



Nov. 18, 1930. A. LANG WINCH DRUM Filed Oct. 51, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lnvenbor l. M

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Attorney Nov. 18, 1930. LANG 1,782,358

WINCH DRUM Filed Oct. 31, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 18, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ANTON LANG, F FELDKIRCHEN, NEAR MUNICH, GERMANY, Ass-rGNoR or ONE-HALF 'ro DEMAG AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, or DUISBUBG, GERMANY, AND ONE-HALF tro MASCHINENFABRIK FR. soHt'rLE MANY 8c (70., OF FELDKIR-CHEN, NEAR MUNICH, GER- WIN CH DRUM Application filed October 31, 1928, Serial No.

Application for this invention has been filed by the inventor in Germany, Serial No. L.67598, dated December th, 1926.

It is a well-known disadvantage with winch drums that when the rope is-slack, by reason of its being unloaded, the turns of 'the rope around the drum open and rise out of the grooves in the drum and leave the drum. Experience has shown that this disadvantage cannot beovercome by surrounding the drum by a casing that reaches to the ,rope winding, because even then the rope chafes and binds between the drum and the outer casing. n

The disadvantage above referred to is avoided according to the invention, by the use of a rope winder. According to the invention the turnsof the rope are pressed by a gripping ring around the drum jacket, so that when the rope is slack the turns cannot rise away from the drum and out of the grooves, but remain tightly pressed against the drum. I he gripping ring advantageously rotates with the drum and is moved for example, by awander nut, to which it is coupled, in a direction that is axial relative to the drum. The gripping ring surrounds only the turns of rope that are immediately adjacent to the position at which the rope leaves the drum, and the ring terminates at this position, or is broken through or formedwith a hole through it for the passage of the rope. p

The invention consists further in a particular construction and operation of the-gripping ring, and in its adaptation to the special known.

316,193, and in Germany December 30, 1926.

Figure? shows'in an enlarged view the connection illustrated in Figure 5, and

Figure 8 illustrates a modified construction according to the invention.

The rope drum 1 is provided with a turned or helical groove 2, in which engages an integral guide piece 3 of the moving rope guiding ring 4. The rope 5 is guided by the slot 6 in the ring 4, and is thus prevented from jumping laterally out of the groove 2 when the pull on the rope is oblique. The ring l is prevented from rotatingby a guide rod 7. Thus the guiding of the rope has mainly for its purpose to avoid the eflects of pulling obliquely on the rope, which effects are The rope winder, hereinafter described difiers therefrom, having for its objectto avoid the undesirable effects which arisexwhen the rope is unloaded or loaded with a small weight. If the unwinding rope becomes slack by reason of the load coming to rest on the ground or for any other reason, resistance is produced in the direction indicated by the arrow 8 when the drum is still further rotated. Moreover, as the rope, by

reason of its elasticity, seeks to release itself from the drum, a few of the turns of the rope,

and gradually all the turns, work loose, which produces the undesired results hereinbefore referred to.

In order'to prevent the rope from rising, 'agripping ring 10 is placed around the turns of the rope at the position where the rope leaves the drum, the ring tightly pressing the turns 12 of the rope, either by its own gripping power or by the action of a tension spring 11, around the drum 1 into the grooves. By this means such friction is produced between drumand rope that all resistance to the rope unwinding is overcome. The gripping ring 10 rotates with the drum 11 but it is connected to the rope guide ring 4 .so as to move axially with it. This may be effected, for example, by means of blocks or lugs 13, which are provided laterally upon the guide ring 4 and which engage over the gripping ring 10.

It will be understood that the construction hereinbefore described can be quite well used for the desired purpose, but it cannot an existing winch drum which is surrounded possible by the use of the improved construction illustrated in Figures 3 to 7. These figures illustrate a pulle block hoist 21, the drum22 of which is tted within a casing 23. The casing has a lateral opening 24 for the passage of the rope 25, the drum 22 being visible through the opening. At the position where the rope leaves the drum there is provided the rope guide loop 26, through which passes the unwinding end of the rope, and by which the rope is guided in both directions.

The loop is formed by a fork 26 (Figures 3 and 5), which is provided 'at its open end with a closin and locking member. 26 secured theretodiy means of pins or screws 43. If the member 26 is removed, the rope can be readily lifted out of the guide. The loop is prevented from rotating with the drum by the edges 24* of the opening 24 with which it engages by means of transverse slots or channels formed respectively in the lower end of the fork and in the upper face of the closing or locking member, which slots or channels receive the edges 24", while movement along the drum is produced by means of inward extensions 26 of the limbs of the fork 26 (Figure 5) which are formed to engage in the rope groove. Such movement is, however, eifected also by means now to be described.

' The rope guide loop 26 is comiected to guide links 27 (which are shown in crosssection in Figure 4 and in side elevation in Figures 5 and 7) by such means as his or screws 43, 44, the pins or screws for t e closing and locking member 26 serving for this purpose at ,the upper end of the guide loop. The links 27 fit into the grooves 28 of the drum 22 and therefore move with it. The loop 26 prevents the links from rotating by reason of the engagement of its closing and locking member 26 and its lower end with the edges 24 of the opening 24 (Figure 5). The parts 27 are held together by hinges 29 (Figures 5 and 7) formed of bent strip metal inset into grooves or slots in the parts 27 and brazed or otherwise secured thereto?- The links are of such length that they can be passed subsequently through the opening 24 in the case of existing drums which are already fitted in position in the casing. The length of the guide links 27, or of the parts 32 of the gripping ring, is greater than the space between the drum jacket 22 and-the inner wall of the casing. This prevents these parts from jumping a groove or being caught while the winch is being operated.

The parts 27 are provided at the right hand side 30 with a groove 31 (Figure 4) in which the parts 32 o the resilient ring are guided by their turned or flanged end 33. The re-. silient ring is likewise -divided,in order to enable the parts to be inserted into position between the drum and casing. The sections of the parts 32 are connected together by a thin leaf spring 34 as illustrated in Figure 6 and the are held under tension by a spring 35. ,The atter 35 is attached to the two end links 32 in any suitable manner, as.by means .jof eyes at the ends of the spring, which are pinned by screws or the like, in seating's or recesses provided in the adjacent ends of the links 32.

":While the drum* is rotating the rope guide moves along the drum and takes with it the resilient ring. The latter can rotate in the 33 of the guide parts 27 so that it moves during the rotation of the drum from one turn of the rope-to the next without, however, moving in the peripheral direction on the turns of the rope... During this time the resilient ring holds the turns of the rope which are adjacent to the rope guide pressed upon the drum and thus prevents the rope jumping a groove and rising, and also prevents loops from forming and the unloaded rope from being can ht.

A modified form 0 gripping ring is illustrated in Figure 8.. In this figure the gripping ring 40 is formed in the manner of a roller bearing provided all around it with a large number of pressure rollers 41 placed close together. Thegripping ring is firmly attached to the guide ring 42. For the rest, this construction of device is similar to that hereinbefore described by reference to Figures 1 to 7 of the drawings.

I claim 1. The combination with a winch drum havinga groove in its periphery, of a rope guide having a part engaging said groove, said guide being movable axially of the drum as the latter rotates, means for preventing said guide from rotating with the drum, and a' gripping ring bearing upon the rope coils adjacent the guide and rotatable with the drum, said ring being interlocked with the guide so as to move therewith axially of the drum.

2. The combination with a winch drum having agroove in its periphery, of an annular rope guide composed of a series of hingedly connected sections having parts engaging said groove, said guide being movable axially of the drum as the latter rotates, means for, preventing said guide from rotating with the drum, and a gripping ring hear-- ing upon the rope coils adjacent the guide and rotatable with the drum, said ring composed of a series of flexibly connected sec tions interlocked with the rope'guide so as to move therewith axially of the drum.

- ANTON LANG. 

